Trump's UN envoy often off-message, seems in his good graces

Washington: President Donald Trump's envoy to the United Nations often is boldly off-message.

Nikki Haley's remarks frequently go well beyond the carefully worded scripts crafted by the White House and State Department. US diplomats fear Haley's words could result in an inconsistent, incoherent international message.

But she seems to be in Trump's good graces.

In some ways, Haley has been ahead of the curve.

Early on, as a nominee, Haley accused Russia of being complicit of war crimes in Syria even as Trump talked of warmer relations with Moscow. And she's warned Syria leader's that "the days of your arrogance and disregard of humanity are over."

Her hints at a change in the Syrian government are now seeping into Trump policies, and the administration has toughened its stance on Russia.